How objects, materials can create an optimal learning space for students

Teachers should strive to create a learning environment that allows students to explore, think and create -- whether or not teachers are present, writes Kevin D. Washburn, author and executive director of Clerestory Learning. In this blog post, he writes that components of an optimal learning environment include, among other things, objects that capture students' interest in exploring critical concepts such as the Rubik's Cube and 3D geometry, and materials that let students direct how they process information.